Used 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Consumer Reviews
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Bought a 2003 SS Monte Carlo in 2017
Jeff, 06/04/2017
2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 2dr Coupe (3.8L 6cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I needed a fairly cheap car that got good gas mileage...3.8 litre preferred...with the desire to not own a tin box full of rust. I drove several cars...and either they had 140,000+ miles on it or they were $3000.00 worth of rust and bolts. I waited and shopped a bit and decided to look at a 2003 Monte Carlo SS with 112,000. Being from a G.M family, I love the 3800. And a Monte Carlo is not my favorite car, it seemed to offer exactly what I was looking for. I drove it...and I tell you it is a solid car with some class..luxury..and sporty. Great highway mileage...(30+) comfort...and the 3800. I am very impressed with my car. Being 14 years old...it lacks all of the science fiction gadgets...that you see in cars today. It has plenty for me..good stereo CD/tape...temperature and direction. Anything beyond that imho is extra stuff to go out and crush your bank account. The people who owned it before me took really good care of it...so there is very little rust...and it drives like it stood the test of time. It's not flashy...it's not incredibly fast (220 hp)..but the engine and car work wonders together. I feel like I'm in a dependable...comfortable car. I'm so impressed with this car. The only possible complaint I may have is that the back seats are a bit tight. Super car.
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I Love This Car
Krysta, 08/26/2005
2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 2dr Coupe (3.8L 6cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I love my car. It is the 1st car I have purchased, and I could not have asked for more. It is fun and sporty, but still roomy and spacious on the inside. Its pretty fast for a car its size, and the body shap is inique. It has great curves, and there is not a car on the road that looks anything like it. The car drives like a dream, and in my opinion it handles really well. I love the color on my car, the color is called Berry Red Metalic, and I have not seen one in my area with the same color.
Great car
ed, 07/12/2008
2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS 2dr Coupe (3.4L 6cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I don't know why GM never promoted this car.The fuel economy 20 city and 32 highway plus the fun to drive aspect make this car a much better value than the so called economy cars. I am 6'2 " 250 lbs,the two door feature of this model make it so easy to get in and out of.I love it.
I will never buy GM.
claude, 08/31/2015
updated 09/11/2018
2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS 2dr Coupe (3.4L 6cyl 4A)
19 of 26 people found this review helpful
My car is a burgundy(berry red) 2003 3.8L Monte Carlo SS. First of all, I would like to say when I bought the car with sunroof, power everything, roomy with 39,000 mileage, I loved it. It had a comfortable ride and it looked awesome. That said, there are many irritating small things about this vehicle and the bigger ones you will run into at around 100,00 miles. First of all it does not play MP3's or have an auxiliary input jack, something that has been around since the 90's. Before you think about changing the OEM radio, please consider that the radio controls many functions of the car: including resetting the tire pressure alarm, oil change alarm, fog lamps, car theft alarm, the chimes of the car, and the onstar system, among other things. Why GM would make an absolete radio so pivital to the function of the vehicle is beyond me. Radios should just be used for music. Another issue with this vehicle is that is looses engine oil every 2 months, about a quarter. So every 2 months your "Low Engine Oil" light will come on. The chevy dealer explained that a memo sent from corporate described this as normal combustion from the engine. Later in 2016, the vehicle was recalled due to dripping engine oil that can cause a fire with the catalytic converter. Another issue is the cabin filter. If you replace it, be sure to purchase a weather cowl to place above it, else your care will flood every time it rains, because a rubber guard that holds water back will fall off. The excess moisture will cause all kinds of problems with the vehicles electrical system. Finally, this vehicle uses Dex-Cool coolant(orange coolant), which according to the manufacturer only needs to be changed every 5 yrs or 150,00 miles. This is primarily due to the high acid content in the coolant, as compared to the 2yr green coolant used in Fords. After about 130,000 miles the Dex-Cool will have eaten many of the engine gaskets, as well as some of the engine parts. The coolant will produce sludge inside the engine if the gaskets break, that will require a flushing of the coolant system and engine. Also, since GM in all there genius, decided to build the car with a plastic intake manifold, which will crack and warp over time, which again may cause motor oil and coolant to combine inside your engine. This is fatal for any vehicle, if not immediately corrected. GM is currently facing lawsuits regarding Dex-Cool. Other problems with this vehicle include a lack of a WEATHER COWL (A plastic trim under the wipers that guide rain water away from ac blower) on the front passenger side of the vehicle. Over time or if someone replaces the cabin filter, a weak rubber trim may slides off, not allowing rainwater to divert away from the inside of the car after hitting the windshield. Without this trim, every time it rains, the inside of the car will start to fill with water. To prevent this a $20 piece of plastic must be installed under the wipers, that which a GM dealer will charge you $80 for. Finally, the interior of the car does not stand up to the test of time, predominately all the control knobs will have writing fade away. Other more significant issues include ABS traction control never worked right, even after replacing both wheel hubs and ABS hardness. Power streering pumped leaked do to poor engineering when I first bought the car, I am now on my 5th Power Steering pump. Coolant Elbow Fittings are a few of the first failures this car will have. Again the geniuses made them plastic so the wouldn't last long against the hot block engine. I will never buy another GM vehicle since they seem designed to be trade ins, after 5yrs.
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MY LIMITED EDITION MONTE CARLO SS
CCLCRAZY56, 11/18/2003
2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 2dr Coupe (3.8L 6cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I HAVE A 2003 LIMITED EDITION PACE CAR MONTE # 767 OUT OF 1401. IT IS MIDNIGHT BLUE WITH SILVER FLAGS ON THE SIDE AND RED "TAZ" ON THE SIDE AND BACK. i HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR MECHANCIALLY. I HAVE TINTED THE WINDOWS, PUT AN AWESOME EXHAUST SYSTEM ON IT BUT OTHER THAN THAT NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE. I CONSISTANTLY GET 30 MPG IN THIS CAR. AS MUCH AS I WOULD HATE TO GET RID OF THIS CAR I AM LOOKING AT THE 2004 SUPERCHARGED MONTE CARLO SS. LOOKING -- MIND YOU..